Twenty Seven
TWENTY SEVEN
DANA
“He’s coming back, you know,” Rosa says.
As much as I want to be as confident as she sounds, I can’t manage to get my hopes up. Rhett vanished once; he could easily do it again.
“You two have a lot more history now. That man can’t take his eyes off you when you’re in the same room. Even on stage, his eyes always come back to yours. Doing what he loves and made a career out of, and his focus is on you.” Rosa gives me a gentle smile. “And the Lord, of course. It’s clear his talent is from God and that Rhett sings and plays for God’s glory. But my point is Rhett is always looking for you and that man loves you.”
I give her a half-hearted smile. What she says about Rhett on stage is true. And just the thought of his brown eyes meeting mine across the room while his voice washes over the crowd gives me chills, but believing that he’s coming back is still a concept I refuse to let my heart grasp onto. I can’t help it. Watching him leave this time left a sick feeling in my stomach. No matter how many times he’s called and assured me he’s coming home to me, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not enough for him. That he’ll disappear again and leave me behind.
If Rhett decides to hang back for a while longer to try and build something with Oscar, I won’t try to guilt him out of it. Oscar is his son, and he deserves to know his dad. It’s selfish of me to keep worrying about it. No matter what happens, God is in control.
I release a resigned sigh and take a long drink of my coffee while staring out at the beach. We’ve positioned our chairs to face the ocean. The sun rises above the waters, bathing the sky in orange and pink hues. As I stare at the wisps of clouds, tears spring to my eyes.
For so long, I questioned God about Rhett, about finding the one, about getting married and starting the next stage of my life with a husband. Especially with my stint as the never-ending bachelorette. Sure, my love life has been moving forward more slowly than I’d hoped. But that has proven to be a good thing. God’s timing is perfect. His will is going to be done no matter what. If Rhett is it for me, he’ll return or God will find a way to make it happen. But if he’s not, God has another plan, and I need to trust in the waiting.
Rosa’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “When I was a little girl, I had my entire wedding planned. My dream dress was sketched, and every detail down to the flower arrangements was noted,” Rosa says as if she can read my mind.
“What?” I ask without hesitation.
She gives me a radiant smile. “My parents were a beautiful example of a truly God-honoring, Christ-centered marriage, and I wanted that desperately. Both of them showered me and each other with love. It’s something I ached for as I grew older.” Rosa sets her mug down and wraps her aged hands around it, lightly drumming her red nails against the porcelain. “When I was in college, I sought my future husband.” She chuckles softly. “My mom said I didn’t go to college to learn, I went to find a husband. And she was right.” She turns her glassy eyes to me. “But I never found him. None of the guys there had any interest in me.”
“I find that hard to believe,” I say. Even as a late-middle-aged woman, Rosa is naturally beautiful. Not that looks are everything, but when you pair that with her sweetness and care for others, she’s the full package.
“Well, God had a plan for me so I was able to work unhindered in areas where men were not welcome. I was able to witness to women in shelters; if I was married, I’d have to leave my husband for months on end to achieve what God allowed me to. I saw so many of those women come to the Lord and start their healing journey.” Her expression is radiant.
“I didn’t know you did all of that,” I say, feeling like a horrible friend when I see how one-sided this relationship has been.
“Well, I don’t go around talking about it. Since I’ve moved to Amber Island, countless people from the church have tried to fix me up with the widowers and older bachelors.” She gives a soft laugh. “I’m far past the age of child-bearing. The more I trusted in the Lord and leaned into Him for understanding and seeking my God-given purpose, the more those desires to be a wife and mother faded into the background.”
I release a mix between a laugh and a scoff. “Moments before I found Rhett, I begged God to remove my desire to be a wife and mother. I was so sick of being the last step before guys jumped into marriage with someone else, and I felt so rejected each time.” I swallow, remembering how I felt when my eyes landed on Rhett as he turned his head to face me. It was just like the first time I laid eyes on him, as if my heart said, “This is the one we’ve been waiting for.”
“And then God brought you Rhett.”
“And then God brought me Rhett,” I repeat.
We sit in pensive silence, each sipping our beverages and enjoying the serenity of nature and the gentle slosh of waves against the shore.
The sound of tires against gravel eventually breaks through our peace, but when I turn and see the man behind the wheel, I don’t miss a beat. I jump up and sprint down the steps, leaping into Rhett’s arms the moment he’s out of the truck. I wrap my legs around his waist. His arms lock beneath my thighs, and he becomes my solid ground once more. He’s my safe place, even in the storm of our own making. Because together, we have been a storm.
I cup his face and kiss him hard on the mouth. Then my arms go around his neck as he deepens the kiss, not needing to use words to show me how much he cares about me or how much he’s missed me. My heart doubles in size and butterflies fill my belly as our kiss continues.
When I feel at least partially satiated, I try to pull back, but Rhett doesn’t let me. His one arm holds my legs in place, and the other skims up my back and holds me firmly against him. We kiss until we’re both breathless and I find myself sliding down his front.
The magnitude and desperation of my actions then hits me. My eyes widen, and my face heats to volcanic proportions. I just made out with my boyfriend in front of Rosa. But I don’t have time to be embarrassed because before I realize what’s happening, Rhett is on one knee and pulling something out of his pocket.
“This is not how I imagined doing this. I wanted to give you a romantic moment, and I’ve tried several times over the last few weeks. I could plan another one, but I can’t wait a moment longer.” He inhales a shaky breath. “I know our relationship has been far from conventional, but you are the most beautiful and unconventional woman I’ve ever met. Dana Swann, you are the sunshine to my clouds, the beauty from my ashes, and the woman I truly believe God created for me.” He swipes at his eyes with the hand not holding the small velvet box. “I love you more than I can put into words. My heart knew I loved you the moment you stepped foot on my tennis courts, but it took my brain a little longer to figure it out. I made several more mistakes and will probably make countless more, but one mistake I will never make again is leaving you. I love you and I need you to be my wife. I need you in good times and in bad, in?—”
I cut him off, unable to hold back my enthusiastic “YES!”
He smiles and stands, wrapping his arms around me, holding me close, and I know in this moment that he will stay with me…forever.
THE END